❉ We review the concluding chapter of the Third Doctor’s first Titan Comics series!
When you think of ‘Doctor Who’ comics you really only had two different homes for such things. Firstly there were the ‘TV Comic’ days of the 60’s & 70’s starring the dreadful and useless companions Gillian and John, then came ‘Doctor Who Magazine’ with it’s long established run from the 4th Doctor to his current incarnation. There were some short-lived other attempts along the way, but ultimately that was the state of ‘Doctor Who’ comics for many years. Until Titan Publishing came along in 2014 and have ran with the title ever since. Kicking off with their 10th, 11th and 12th Doctor series, they’ve now branched off into an ongoing 9th Doctor comic and limited-run series for classic Doctors.
Which brings us here to the final issue of Paul Cornell and Christopher Jones’ spectacular run of ‘The Third Doctor’.
For the past four issues, we’ve been treated to near iconic panels, pitch perfect characterizations, mind-blowing reveals which all has lead to pure fun and entertainment. Issue #5 is no different. It’s a damn good comic book.
To recap and this is where I shall have to get a tad spoilery:
Ramon Salamander (from ‘The Enemy of the World’) has used his time travel machine to head back to the late 1800’s to, of course, take over the world. Unfortunately for him, the Doctor, Jo, Brigadier and the Master are on his trail to stop his nefarious plans.
Which follows is such a love letter to Jon Pertwee’s era on the show. I can almost see Nick Courtney’s eyes twinkling in the illustration. Cornell writes as someone who loves the show and has a deep knowledge and understanding of it. His Second Doctor/Salamander twist is such a treat to behold and it’s really such a shame that is apparently his final piece of ‘Doctor Who’, but I think it’s one he can be proud to end on.
I look forward to seeing more of Jones’ work on the Titan Comic’s range and only hope that they’ll revisit the Third Doctor sooner rather than later.
If you’ve never read any ‘Doctor Who’ comics or tried any that Titan has to offer I cannot recommend this series any more. It’s an instant classic that will make you hungry for more. Which Titan seems perfectly willing to provide and coming next this fall will be a 7th Doctor mini-series.
And that’s wicked.
❉ Doctor Who: The Third Doctor Miniseries #5 (Writer: Paul Cornell; Artist: Christopher Jones) was published by Titan Comics on 22 February 2017, RRP £2.65 (softcover).
